Malawi President Mutharika pardons 268 prisoners

As part of activities commemorating Malawi’s 51 years of independence on Monday July 6, President Peter Mutharika has pardoned 268 prisoners.

Mutharika with prison commissioner

According to a statement from Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security said those pardoned “have served at least half of their prison sentences, with good behaviour and were not convicted of serious offences.”

Government said the pardon of the prisoners is a symbol of forgiveness as the country commemorates its independence.

The pardoning of prisoners is common in Malawi during independence celebrations, as well as at Easter and Christmas.

The country’s 23 prisons are notorious for the poor conditions in which inmates are kept. They currently hold some 12 000 inmates – double their capacity – and a former top judge has described them as “hell on earth”.

This year’s main independence celebration activities will take place in the Southern Region to be hosted in Blantyre City and president Mutharika is expected to grace the occasion which will also feature a football match between Malawi and Uganda.

Tibeledwe tsopano!!! This pardoning business must surely stop. There is a lot of corruption as a result the majority of freed prisoners through pardoning are hard core prisoners, the end result is the suffering of the public. Stop the shit please!!!!

We have in town Malawi flag flying alongside DPP flag.Yes am a Malawian so the Malawi flag,and if am not a DPP then I can not go to stadium and what it means only supporting DPP should attend, if anything Malawi flag would fly along side other parties flags to make the celebration for all.

Who can verify on behalf of the nation if the cashgaters are still in jail or pardoned too ?and if they are still in who can verify if indeed they are spending nights at Maula prison with the rest of the inmates? search me! the nation will b disappointed. Open your eyes malawians,this is a mafia nation now.